Reader: I am growing increasingly alarmed by the Trump administration’s assault on access to birth control.

A recent Sen. Bill Nelson email lambasting President Trump for signing “a new rule letting employers deny their employees birth control coverage.” is typical of Nelson, containing half-truths and misinformation.

Check Trump’s Doc No. 82, FR 47838, and Obama’s executive order 13535. The larger question for Nelson is this; At what point did our government consider it within their purview to force one class of citizen to subjugate their constitutionally guaranteed religious freedoms to another class of citizen’s wants? I find it amazing that a sitting United States senator running for reelection would take such an anti-First Amendment position in his campaign. Nelson’s stance is that the government can and should make a law prohibiting the free exercise of one’s religion by forcing people to violate their religious beliefs/conscience in favor of the “right” of another person to be supplied with contraceptives.

Nelson’s email is a clear message on his and his party’s willingness to curtail everyone’s constitutionally guaranteed natural rights while they manufacture new “rights” to garner votes, no matter the long-term damage to the country. Do we, Democrat or Republican, really want a senator willing to sacrifice our basic rights for perceived votes?

Richard Eginton, Satellite Beach

Assault on birth control attacks women

I am growing increasingly alarmed by the Trump administration’s assault on access to birth control. Their plan to remove the Affordable Care Act’s birth control coverage guarantee is dangerous, and it will allow any employer to decide whether their employees should have birth control coverage. It also affects students who utilize insurance through their institute of higher education. This puts birth control access for 62 million women, including myself, in jeopardy. There has already been an accommodation for employers who objected to providing birth control coverage based on religious grounds, so this rule has nothing to do with religion.

Simply stated, this is about taking away women’s access to essential health care. Birth control should not be controversial and it should not be used as a bargaining chip by the current administration — it should be easily accessible and affordable to all. This is considered a discriminatory act against women, as women should be trusted to make their own private reproductive health decisions, regardless of the whims of their employers. My message to the Trump administration is simple: When you take away my birth control, you are attacking basic health care that the vast majority of women rely on.

Megan Cheatham, Palm Bay

Veterans Day parade is a go

The Veterans Day Parade will go on this year, sponsored by J. W. Mathers American Legion Post 163, 1795 N. Harbor City Blvd., Melbourne.

The parade starts at 10 a.m. Nov. 11, heading west on East New Haven and ending on Oak Street. For more information, please email rose.yeary@att.net. I want to get the word out as many think it’s canceled due to lack of funding from the city. We are doing it strictly through donations and entry fees. City services alone will be $2,400. Thank you.

Rosemarie Yeary, Melbourne

Wilson’s ‘bigoted rantings’

I am an Irish Catholic born in Brooklyn, New York, and now retired in Florida. I was totally disgusted and insulted by the comments Congresswoman Frederica Wilson and several TV commentators made about White House Chief of Staff Gen. John Kelly. The reference to the Irish Catholics of Boston as a group of racists who also mistreat women was outrageous.

I am sure my letter could be echoed hundreds of thousands of times, but the bigoted rantings of Congresswoman Wilson and the TV commentators aren’t worth the attention they receive. All members of Congress, especially in Florida and Boston, should publically disavow themselves from those people and their comments immediately. If they, Republican or Democrat, cannot do that, let all of us know before we vote again next year.

John Wynne, Melbourne

Gen. Kelly a ‘disgrace’ to Corps

What is happening to our military? Recently we have had two of our naval ships run into other vessels. Wasn’t anyone on duty? Two generals have been disciplined for sexual misconduct. Four of our Green Berets have been killed and nobody seems to know why, or why it took two days to recover one of the bodies. Comes now, General Empty Barrel who slanders a U.S. representative and refuses to apologize, even after being confronted with the proof that he lied. He’s now a disgrace to the Corps and all military personnel.